What are your BANNED QUESTIONS about Christians?

I'm preparing the proposal for book 3 in the Banned Questions book series: BANNED QUESTIONS ABOUT CHRISTIANS. Add your taboo, controversial questions (sincere and respectful, please) to this list, & vote for your favorites. Yours might make it in the book!

Some Christians believe the bible is without error and the only real authority for living, but they ignore parts of the old and new testament. Why hold on to 6 verses on homosexuality but ignore books and chapters about slavery?

Why are my non-Christian friends kinder?

In too many instances, the most gracious, gentle, peaceful, thoughtful, patient, kind, generous and steadfast people in my life have been non-Christians, while the most judgmental, mean-spirited, greedy, superficial, intolerant and war-mongering folks have been Christians. This is not always the case. But too consistent to be the exception: Christianity is not breeding the sorts of people it claims to be, and "the world" seems to be responding by turning out secular people who are actually more like Jesus. What's the deal?!

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Why so many different names for leaders of church

Why are there so many different names for people who lead churches? Is it "pastor", "priest", "father", "bishop", "brother", "Reverend", "sister", 'mother" Is one better than the other? Which one is "correct" (if any)?

Why do Christians treat one another so poorly?

Over the centuries, Christians sometimes treated those who disagree with them very poorly, including other Christians. For example, several European countries fought bloody & violent wars in the 1500s and 1600s just so one form of Christianity would have dominance over another. Does it still happen? Why?

How come we're anti-semitic if Jesus was a Jew?

James Carroll wrote a book called Constantine's Sword that shows how we've been formed by (sometimes subtle, sometimes blatant) hostility and resentment of Judaism. What would Christianity look like if it embraced the full legitimacy of Judaism? How would we read the Hebrew Bible differently? Could it actually bring us closer to Jesus?

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Why are there so many Christian denominations?

Aug 20, 2011

If all Christians basically believe the same thing, why do they have so many different denominations? And if there are so many denominations struggling to survive, why don't they just combine with other ones?

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Can someone be both an atheist and a Christian?

Aug 20, 2011

If "Christian" actually means "follower of Christ," could someone be a student of the life of Jesus without accepting the claims of his divinity, or claims of the existence of any divinity at all?

Can you be Christian without belonging to church?

I've met lots of people who say they are Christian but haven't been to church in a long time. I've even met some who say they were raised Christian but never went to church. Can you be Christian outside of a community of Christians?

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When are souls created or born?

I understand the concept of heaven and hell and that our bodies are mere vessels for our souls - they die but our souls last for eternity. When a baby is conceived, where does that soul come from - is it created at that moment or has it been floating in existence in the universe from the beginning of time?

How is it that so many Christians support -- or even call for wars -- when one of names for the Christ they supposedly follow is "Prince of Peace," and Jesus urged love for enemies and non-violent responses?